The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-13

coming 10 the doorway. whined piteously ~
D. looked out into the darkness, then up In
Naggy's face.
Then the girl threw herself into chair,
aid her head on the table and sobbed as
though her heart would break.
, III.
The dav had been IA weary one for Ralph
! Irwin also. He knew Of Maggy's lone iness,
/ vet could not bring himself to break 1t. The
, words of her father had hurt him 20 the quick
aud IL did not seem possible 10 enter the
turner's hou,o in hi, absence, or even APP
proach the girl he loved. In face OF that
'ruel taunt
Perhaps he had no right TO so pure love;
perhaps il had been wrong OF him 10 lift his
: ,yes 10 one who bore All honest name.
That was the worst Of it. In the humility
born Of his reverent tender love for Maggy,
he hardly felt worthy Of her at all, even
without the blot on his fathers name; yet
ais arms ached TO hold her once again to his
ncart and tell her how he loved her.
IIo had loved his outlaw father too, and
the tears came to his brave young eyes at
the memory Of the man who had been noble
and true hearted even in his lawleSsness; and
pity for that ruined life mingled with the
pain caused by the wreck Of his own happi'
ness and hope
II all made him restless, and the confine-
ncnt Of the narrow house where he dwelt
lgrcw uLhrarable.
! Ralph loved Nature In every mood, but
perhaps best in her more turbulent ones;
they suited the impatient longing in his
mind for fuller life and more intensity Of
action He wearied ut all times OF the stag.
nation and mOnotony round him, weared
u minds that could give him no stimulus,
and found we'll nigh intOlerabie round of
daily life that seemed To have no result save
| the bare fulfilling Of the fact of living; and
now that he was severed from the one creature
that had sympathzcd with his wants and
understood his nature he was more and more
restless and dissatisfied.
Spite of the coming storm, he had wandered
out on 10 the moor, had seen the great clouds
gather and break, and watched the startled
creatures Of the fields huddle together for
shelter, or seek hastily their holes a nd coyerts
! for safety
! He had himself taken refuge from the pour
ms rain under an overhanglng ledge of rock,
| from whence he could watch the rushing
,tream, the play of the dazzling fire amid the
Somber clouds and the sudden lighting up by
the fltful vivid flashes of the great desolate
moor.
| The lad was not cultured enough to analyze
his own feelings nor, indeed, did he care
about them, aud certainly would have found
it impossible to paint in words the scene be-
fore him Yet not less was he awed by its
sublimity.
It's terrific magnihcence excited him, and
its beauty and wild grandeur made him for
get his own small troubles. Unconsciously
there fell on him great deep calm.
Nature was so great, and the something
behind nature so infinitely grand, that his
soul grew subdued.
God was in the thunder to this peasant lad;
yet he felt only worshp-not touch of fear.
His love for Maggy was too much part of
himself to he forgotten; but for that hour he
was patient, and his resentment against her
father and against the verdict Of the country
side submated itself into heroic endurance
und resignation.
Aud ever through his thoughts he heard the
roar of the stream, the cry of the night bird
in the distance, aud the thunder, growing
fainter when the storm at length began to
pass.
Once or twice, as the lightning flashed and
lit for second the whole horizon, he fanced
he saw dark object on the moor, as though
)me figure advanced towards him: but the
darkness fell again SO quickly his mind had
barely time to register the impression his eye
conveyed.
Suddenly a cry OF dismayl A shrll yet
feeble shrek for help; then another, as of
despair, rises above the roar Of the torrent;
aud Ralph jumps to his feet
Merciiul heaven There, within his very
reach is some lost creature being borne away
by the fury OF the stream
Death so close, so close and cruel the lads
heart beats wildly with longing TO rescue
the hapless one from that strong icy grasp.
But, alas the darkness is so deep he knows
not where to fight the foe, and the seconds
seem eternities as he waits, every nerve at /
strain.
Again the cry. It is nearer now,
Ralph hestates no longer. His senses are
trained with the outdoor life he has led and
with an nerrng instinct he measures the
distance from tho spot whence comes that ,
awful call
Wild though the spate may be, it has no |
power TO check his daring Into the whiten.
ing foam he clashes.
The plunge makes him giddy and the noise I
confuses; yet lie manages to keep his footing |
though the force Of the current makes it diff |
cult
The clouds break little, and there is a !
FAINT light behind them and he sees a human
figure borne on the stream above him aud
dashed against an outjuttihg mass Of rock. /
1t Is but second that the downsweep is !
stayed by the obstacle; yet it il sufficient for |
the young fellow to reach the point and !
grasp in his strong arm the stunned and
helpless man.
Thus far he il successful, but not so
quickly can the landing be effected
IIampcred Us no Is by the unconscious
weight he holds, the lad has little
power to struggle against the stream, and
is borne on and ON, though he clutches vainly
with the one hand that is free ut every branch
of tree, or twig, or jutting stone that over /
hangs the banks,
He grows very weary and faint, yet bravely
will not yield
Fortunately for him, the man he holds is '
not conscious enough to impede him 10y strug- !
Cling, and as yet he is able to keep his own
head and that OF his helpless burden above |
water.
A terrible fear is on him, FOR he knows